Windsor Nightmare!

As expected our manager Spike went with his favoured line-up, with Shan in goal, a back four of Jimer, Steeky, JT and Cookie Munster. In midfield we had Thommo, Tony and Captain Jenks and upfront we had Cush, Darboy and Ally. I had high hopes for this side, I thought that this was our best selection, but they didn't gel and gave a mainly insipid performance. When Richard Crangle was appointed to referee this match, the majority of fans thought he might drop a clanger and he didn't disappoint and his decisions had a massive bearing on the outcome of the match. But United can't use him for their excuse, they simply didn't perform and except for a spell in the second half, we were under the cosh for most of the ninety minutes.

Admittedly United's cause wasn't helped with an injury to Jimer, who had to be replaced with 27 mins gone and Fergie made a bad choice in selecting Gavin as his replacement, for we lost Tony's combative skills in midfield as he went to Jimer's rightback slot. We had a chance early on when Steeky found Cush, but his cross-cum-shot, was easily dealt with by Glenavon's (thereafter known only by Avon), keeper McGrath. The Avons keeper was having trouble with his goal-kicks early on and the Sky Blues failed take advantage of this and he got away with it. Avons, corners and long throw-ins were causing us trouble, but we were dealing with them and then disaster struck.

It was only about five mins after Jimer, was subbed, Avons won a corner on the right and play was held up as Crangle was talking to McKeown of the Avons and our keeper Shan, who were jockeying for position. The ref signalled for the corner to be taken and Shan ended up on the ground and McKeown was sent off for presumably elbowing the keeper. I must confess I didn't see the incident and I have watched the highlights on BBC and I'm still not clear what happened. Some Avon supporters claim that our keeper Shan took a dive and I sincerely hope this isn't true, for I've an utter contempt for any player that takes a dive. One Avon fan on the forum, says McKeown elbowed our keeper and that's good enough for me, but surely a yellow card would have been enough, but Crangle, being Crangle, had to flourish the red.

I was worried at this stage, for I know from painful experience, that we struggle against ten men, much as we struggle against so called 'inferior teams'. From a spell of United pressure, Avons defender, Lindsay, had to receive treatment for a cut and Crangle allowed him to stay on the field, not go off as most players are made to do, I suppose that's at the referee's discretion or maybe, its just Crangle being Crangle again. He had to come off eventually and receive treatment, which meant Avon were down to nine men briefly, but United couldn't take advantage of the situation. He was only back on the field when Guy Bates won a free-kick about 30 yards from goal, with Cookie alleging Bates had dived, but there seemed to be contact and a foul was given.

United lined up a four man wall, but Kyle Neill's left-foot shot got through and Shan saw it late and couldn't prevent the score. I don't know if the wall broke, or it was a just a good free-kick, but we were one down and we had to start playing. But it didn't happen, Avon were playing like their very lives depended on it and they were taking the game to United. Disaster struck for United with 5 mins to go to halftime, when Thommo challenged for a ball and his foot caught McCabe on the body. Crangle couldn't get the red card out quick enough and the United manager was livid, it had been a genuine attempt to get the ball and the player wasn't injured, but Crangle sent him off. United managed to hold until halftime, but it was obvious that we were going to have to change our tactics and get somebody on, we had no leaders on the pitch.

2nd half
United took the field early, not a good sign, but they started to get inroads into the match and should have equalised when Darboy's shot form a knock-down was blocked by Avon defender Martyn. Earlier Tony had wasted a good opening, by firing over the crossbar, failing to work the keeper. Six mins later Fergie took off Darboy and brought on Alan D, that meant Captain Jenks going upfront and Alan D dropping into midfield. i have to say it wasn't the most inspired substitution by Spike, why didn't he take off a defender, say Steeky or Cookie and push Jenks up with Darboy, but it got the desired a result an equalising goal. Cush, only a shadow of the player he had been until about 6 weeks ago, when he had gone off the boil, found JT in space and his left-foot shot was tipped away for a corner by McGrath.

Ally took the corner and McGrath failed to get a touch and Jenks chested it down and forced it home to the delight of the Sky Blue faithful. We were back on level terms, could we go on and get a winner, but looking at the United bench, we hadn't a striker worthy of the name to come on and win it for us, they were all sitting in the stand, naive or what. Avon had brought one on in the 67th minute to replace Neill, Mark Patton, who scored Avons goal the last time the teams met at the Showgrounds and he was to break United fans hearts yesterday. In a neat bit of build up play, by Avon players, Tony, in challenging for a high ball slipped and Patton was allowed to run unopposed to the edge of the United box, before Cookie came to challenge him. But his right-foot shot seemed to take a deflection and crept in at Shan's far post to give Avon a 2-1 lead.

Cometh the hour cometh the man and although I'm not a huge fan of Alan D, I was hopeful that he could produce a moment of magic for us. He nearly did when, he killed a ball but only shot straight at McGrath. He was guilty of being too elaborate, when we wanted him to be direct, he dithered and our chances were lost. We had one last chance to make an incisive substitution, but we took off Cookie and brought on Archie. I would rather saw anybody coming on than Archie, it was a defender for a defender and we needed to see Sparky, our only local, or Neal Gawley, at least that would have been a positive move to my way of thinking. We carved out an opening near the end, when Ally fed Cush and despite wriggling his way into the area he shot at McGrath and our chance was gone.

With the match drifting to a close, Guy Bates was subbed and the tramp came on (Hamilton) and he proceeded to waste time and generally make a nuisance of himself. In his frustration, Tony went in hard on him and the tramp reacted by pushing Tony to the ground and surprise, surprise, Crangle showed the red card to Tony and let the tramp get away with it. Tony, kicked out at a TV mic on his way off and that might mean a further suspension at the start of next season, instead of only one game. I think Crangle has an issue with Tony, for he sent him off at the Showgrounds against Linfield earlier in the season, or is he just useless? It was bad foul, but I don't think it was sending off, but he had to send them both off for violent conduct, but he didn't. The tramp kicked the ball into touch and the referee blew the final whistle, it was only decision he got right all day!


Shan (6), Jimer (6) (Sub : Gavin 6,), Steeky (6), Cookie (6),(Sub: Archie 6,), JT (7), Thommo (5), Jenks (7), Tony (6), Cush (6), Darboy (6) (Sub: Alan D 6,), Ally (6)

Man of the match: Captain Jenks